Christmas Tree Feather Duster Worm

Sabellida is a suborder of annelid worms in the class polychaeta.

Christmas tree feather duster worm. The worms most distinct features are two crowns shaped like christmas trees. The christmas tree worms and feather duster worms are tubeworms living their entire adult lives in one spot attached to various coral species. While they do have certain requirements such as good water quality and supplemental feedings so called feather dusters can add an intriguing colorful display for the marine aquarium.

Christmas tree worms and feather dusters of the suborder sabellida. Also known as burrowing christmas tree fan worm burrowing tree fan worm coco worm fan worm feather duster feather duster worm feather tube worm hard tube coco worm indian tube worm marine worm rock worm segmented sea worm spiral gilled tube worm tubeworm. Learn more in our marine life encyclopedia at oceana org marine life subscribe to our.

These tube dwelling worms are filter feeders and are commonly identified by a ring of feathery tentacles extending outwards. The resultant larvae are carried by currents as a component of plankton. Found in colonies burrowed into stony corals such as brain coral and porites corals over lagoons and coral reefs.

Members of the suborder include the feather duster worms sabellastarte spectabilis in the family sabellidae and the christmas tree worm spirobranchus giganteus in the family serpulidae. Christmas tree worms live inside corals where they hide from predators. These marine segmented tube bearing worms of the phylum annelida meaning little ring in latin are generally hardy sessile invertebrates that attach themselves to either a rock or in the substrate.